Reversible latch



Oct. 18,` 1927. 1,646,075

A. F. WINTERs ET Al.

REVERSIBLE LATCH Filed Sept. 20, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1' nuanovs Oct- 181927' A. `F. WINTERs ET Al- REVERSIBLE LATCH Filed Sept. 20, 1926 2Sheets-Sheet 2 kwam/ove v mucmev EN muvs Tm Ti. (xmmpon www PatentedOct. 18, 1927s UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER F. WINTERS AND BASIL R. CRAMPTON, F GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

REVERSIBLE LATCH.

Application tied September 20, 1926.

This invention relates to improvements in reversible latchesparticularly intended for use on refrigerator doors.

The advantage of a reversible latch is that the same latch may be usedon a door swinging from either the right or left side. lVhen such alatch is used to equip refrigerators at the factories it is onlynecessary to have a supply of latches of one kind on hand. The l0necessity of determining the number for use on right hand doors and foruse on left hand doors is eliminated. The same is true in merchandisingestablishments. It. is only necessary to carry one kind of vlatch andnot a double supply and the possibility of mistakes in selling the wronglatch is eliminated. Furthermore the manufacture of a latch of this typeis simplified because it is only necessary to provid-e dies of one kindinstead of a double set of dies for right and left hand latches.

The latch provided by this invention is designed to be simply andcheaply made `and to be positive and accurate in its opera tion andstrong and substantial in structure. The latch is provided with variousnew and useful features of construction and arrangement as hereinaftermore fully described and pointed out in the claims. reference beiner hadto the accompanying drawings. in which Fig. 1 is a front View of thelatch and keeper applied to a door with the top of the casing of thelatch removed.

Fig. 2 is a section of the same substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.v

Fig. 3 is a section of the same on the line 3 3 of Fig. e.

Fig. 4 is a View of the same description as Fig.` 1 showing the latchbar moved to unlatched position and retained in such position.

Fig. 5 is a front View of the latch and keeper showing the latch bar isunlatched position and removed from the keeper. and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective of a part` of the latch bar and theactuating levers in partially disassembled position.

The latch embodying this invention 1ncludes a casing having a bodyportion 1 and flangesQ extendingtherefrom through which screws 3 arepassed to attach it to the door. The casing has a bottom 4 of sheetmetal at the forward edge of which is a ledge 5 preferably formed byturning an integral part of the hettot'ri member backward upf-.iti itsSerial No. 136,399.

The latch lever 6 extends through openings 7 and 8 in the respectivefront and rear sides of the casing and is provided at its rear end witha handle portion 9. The forward extension l() of the latch lever isinclined inwardly at its respective edges where it engages the keeper.The latch lever is preferably stamped from heavy sheet metal. it beingso designed that this method of manufacture is possible.

The latch lever is pivoted in the casing on a pin 11 which extendsthrough a hole provided in the latch lever. this pin being formed on aplate 12 which lies against the top of the casing and extends a shortdistance down the rear side thereof and is held in place by turning anear 13 of the casing around it. The latch lever must oscillate about thepivot pin 11 and must also have a slight rocking movement thereon toenable its forward end to move outward to pass over the ledge 5, and forthis purpose the opening in the lever through which the pin 11 extendsis large enough to permit such rocking movement. Y

The latch lever is yieldably retained in central or horizontal positionby means of two actuating levers 14 which are pivoted in superimposedrelation upon the pin 11. These levers extend at the respective sides ofthe latch lever approximately parallel therewith and both ways from therpivot pin. The rear extension of each lever has a downturned finger 15to engage its respective side of the latch lever while the forward endof each lever is provided with a downturned leg 16 normally engaging theinner side oi the casing 1. A compression spring 17 is interposedbetween the forward ends of the respective levers and yieldablyseparates them causingT the legs 16 to engage the respective sides ofthe casing 1 and the fingers 15 to engage the respective sides of thelatch lever to hold it in central horizontal position.

When the latch lever is oscillated in either direction from thehorizontal. asshown in Fig. 4. one of the actuating levers 14 will.

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horizontal position when it is released and this same action occurs whenthe lever is moved in the opposite direction trom the hrrizontal, in.which case the opposite lever 14 is moved.

lVhen the latch lever is moved to its extreme position in eitherdirection from the horizontal, which is unlatched position, it will beretained by lodging against one edge of the ledge 5. the lever rockingslightly toward the bottom plate 4 to thu-s lodge against the ledge.This rocking movement is partly performed by the normal outward pull bythe operator who grasps the handle portion 9y to operate the lever butthe rocking movement is assured and made -more positive by action ot thespring 17 which is so designed that it` bows downwardly between itsends, the central portion bearing against. the upper side of the latchlever which is flattened at 18.

In this un-latched position the torward end 10 ot the latch lever isfreed from the keeper 19 and the door may be opened and the latch leverwill normally be retained in this unlatched position. lGill-ien the dooris closed the forward end 10 ot the latch lever strikes an unlatchingextension Q0 formed on the base Q1 ot the keeper and dislodges it. tromthe ledge 5. whereupon the action ot the spring 17 moves the lever tohorizontal or latched position, its: forward end catching under thekeeper 19. rhe outer end of theV keeper 19 is inclined at 22* so that incase the latch lever has become dislodged and returned toA normalposition while the door is open its forward end will engag, the inclinedsurface ot the keeper a.; the door is closed and. move it by cam actionaround the keeper and permit it to spring into place under the keeper tolatched position.

It will he seen that both the laitch and the keeper are reversible fordoors` swinging in opposite directions. The drawings illusN trate thelatch and keeper applied to a door hung at its rig-ht hand edge. lt thedoor to which the latch is to be applied is hun-g at the left hand edgethe latch is simply inverted while the keeper ofV the same shape on bothsides and is simply placed without being inverted or its positionotherwise changed, adjacent the edge of the. door to be engaged bytheend of the latch lever.

By' pivoting the actuating levers 14 on the pin 11 whichis also thepivot for the latch lever,- the actuating levers simply swing withmovement of the latch lever and have no sliding engagement therewith.thus Veliminati'ngf friction and wear between these parts and alsocheapeningy the structure by eliminating extra pivots for the actuatinglevers.

We claim:

1. A reversible latch comprising a pivoted latch lever7 and means lorvieldablv holding the latch lever in central position. said meansincluding two spring aciisatcd pivoted levers engaging opposite sideso1" said latch lever and exerting thrusts against the latch lever inopposite directions.

2. A reversible latch comprising a pivoted latch lever, pivotedactuating lever located at and engaging each respective side ot saidlatch lever7 and a single spring intupcsed between said actuating leversto exertY thrusts by said actuating levers in opposite directionsagainst said latch lever.

3. A reversible latch comprising a pivotedl latch lever. two actuatinglevers pivoted on the same pivot as the latch lever, one engaging eachrespective side of. said latch lever` and spring means acting upon saidactuating levers to cause them to exert thrusts in opposite directionsagainst said latch lever.

4. A reversible latch comprising a pivoted latch lever, two actuatinglevers pivoted on the saine pivot as the latch lever. one eneachrespective side of -said latch lever.` and a single springY interposedbetween said actuating levers to cause them to exert thrusts in oppositedirections against said latch lever.

5. A reversible latch comprising, a pivot ed latch lever, a detentengageable with said latch lever when moved to a position at either sideof central, a pivoted actuating lever engaging each respective side ofsaid latch lever, and a single spring interposed between said actuatinglevers to cause them to exert thrusts in opposite directions against thelatch lever, said spring also engaging said latch lever to move it intovengagement with said detent.

6. A reversible latch comprising a casing, a. latch lever pivoted withinthe casing, two actuating levers pivoted on the same pivot as the latchlever and engaging opposite sides thereof, and spring means acting uponsaid actuating levers to cause them to exert thrusts in oppositedirections against the latch lever. each, actuating lever engaging thecasing to limit its respective movement in one direction to a centralnormal position.

7. A reversible latch comprising a casing, a latch lever pivoted withinthe casing, two actuating levers pivoted on the same pivot as the latchlever and engaging opposite sides thereof, and a singlespring interposedbetween said actuating levers to move them to exert thrusts. in oppositedirections against the latch lever, each actuatingnlever engaging thecasing to stop its respective movement in one direction to a centralnormal position.

8. A reversible latch comprising a casing, a latch lever pivotallymounted in the cas ing, a detent engaged by said latch lever when movedto a position in either dir-er'- tion from central, two actuating leverspivoted within the casing and engaging oppo4 site sides of the latchlever, and spring means acting upon the actuating levers to cause themto exert thrusts in opposite directions against the latch lever and alsoact ing upon the latch lever to move it into engagement with saiddetent, said actuating' levers engaging the casing to limit theirrespective movements in one direction to a central normal position.

9. A reversible latch comprising a casing, a latch lever pivotallvmounted in the casing, a detent engaged by said latch lever and moved toa position in either direction from central, two actuating leverspivoted within the casing and engaging opposite sides of the latchlever, and a single spring interposed between said actuating levers andalso engaging the latch lever to cause the actuating levers to exertthrusts in opposite directions against the latch lever and to move thelatch lever into engagement with said detent, said actuating leversengaging the casing to limit their respective movements in one directionto a central normal position.

l0. A reversible latch comprising a casing, a latch lever pivotallymounted in the casing, a detent engaged by said latch lever and moved toa position in either direction from central, two actuating levers withinthe casing, both pivoted on the latch lever pivot, and a single springinterposed between said actuating levers and also engaging the latchlever to cause the actuating levers to exert thrusts in oppositedirections against the latch lever and to move the latch lever intoengagement with said detent, said actuating levers engaging the casingto limit their respective movements in one direction to a central normalposition.

1l. A reversible latch comprising a pivoted latch lever, two actuatinglevers pivoted on the same pivot as the latch lever and each extendingin both directions from the pivot longitudinally of the latch lever,said actuating levers engaging opposite sides of the latch lever attheir rear extremities, a

compression spring interposed between the forward extremities ot theactuating levers and stop means to stop the movement of each actuatinglever in one direction at a central normal position.

12. A reversible latch comprising a pivoted latch lever, a detentengageable with the latch lever when it is moved to a position in eitherdirection from central, two actuating levers pivoted on the same pivotas the latch lever and extending in both directions from the pivotlongitudinally of the latch lever, the rear extremities of therespective actuating levers engaging oppo site sides of the latch lever,a compression spring interposed between the forward extremities of theactuating levers, said spring also engaging the latch lever to move itinto engagement with said detent, and stops engaged by the actuatinglevers to stop their respective movements in one direction at a centralnormal position.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures.

ALEXANDER F. VVINTERS.4 BASIL R. CRAMPTON.

